Leaving the States
An early phone call marked the beginning of our journey. It was from our friend Patrick who had previously offered to give us a ride to the airport. He told us that he wasn’t able to take us. For about a minute Mike and I stared at each other with million thoughts going through our heads of how we are going to get to the airport. Mom and dad left, friends are out of town, our cars are sold... Luckily, before we gave in to complete panic, Patrick burst out laughing and admitted that he was joking. He knocked on our front door. Phew, haha, what a relief!
After saying our goodbyes to Patrick at the airport, we went through the CLEAR security line and on to our first stop – the Delta Sky Lounge (look for a lounge review blog soon) for our last snack in the Midwest.
We had an 8-hour layover in the US smallest state Rhode Island. Despite the rain, we decided to get out of the Providence airport and explore the city. Among the highlights of our sightseeing tour were Brown University, the Rhode Island State Capitol, and the Greenwich Bay. To top off our experience of New England, we visited an awesome local seafood restaurant right on the bay called Iggy’s Boardwalk Lobster and Clam Bar (which we would highly recommend because of their good portions, reasonable prices, great harbor view, buy one get one free – BOGO – coupon in a local paper).
After that, we returned to the airport and boarded the Norwegian Air Boeing 737 (under a $100 per person to Europe! Can’t beat that).
Ireland
Our first stop was to the land of Erie and Mike’s forefathers, but only for a short time as we had a 24-hour stopover in Dublin. We stayed at the Hilton Dublin Airport, which offered amazing amenities, complementary airport shuttle bus, and access to the public transportation that could take you to the City Center for just 3 euros.
With such little time we decided to take a Do Dublin bus to see the city, an equivalent to a Hop On Hop Off. After seeing all the sights, we decided to check out one of Ireland’s greatest exports “Extra” Stout (also the best Irish band in Ohio) at an off-the-beaten-path pub, Reilly’s Bar, where we enjoyed drinks with a few locals and a Swedish expat.
Our newfound friends recommended a restaurant named Burxelles where we had an authentic Irish meal that included “Bacon” and cabbage. Farewell, vegan diet! From there it was time to wonder around the College Green and Temple Bar areas in the evening before making our way back north for a good night sleep before our flight. By the way, in Dublin you don’t need a map, because every local is as friendly as your closest neighbor. In their own words it sounds something like, “If you get lost, just pick up the tele and ring anybody.”
Early in the morning we arrived at the Dublin Airport, where we met our first Ohioan friend overseas, Greg. We enjoyed a pre-flight lunch at the Dublin Lounge 1 before our next stop in the Swiss Alps.
Switzerland
We had a 3-day stay in the land of chocolate, watches, and banks. An easy train ride from the airport took us to Zurich “Haupbahnhof” main station, where we met up with Mike’s dad and aunt. Later that day, we met our dearest Swiss family.
Hungry after a long day, we all enjoyed a delicious dinner at a unique Zurich restaurant Ambross Rampe that was located inside a warehouse. It is one of our Swiss family member’s favorite restaurants, although she warned us that they rotate their menu every 3 months so she cannot predict what cuisine they would serve that night. To our delight, they served Himalayan, Caribbean, and Swiss foods – all excellent choices. From there, we rode to our Swiss family’s enchanted village, encircled by the magnificent snow-capped Swiss mountains, where we spent the night.
The next day, we rode a scenic railway loop from Davos to Filisur to St. Mortiz and back via the Bernina Express Route. The train ticket cost 49 CHF (Francs) a person but included a 24-hour transfer to all buses and trains. The best thing about the Swiss transportation is their punctuality. When the tabloid displays a 12:41 departure time, the train will leave the terminal at 12:41 – a farcry from public system in the States.
A sister-city of Vail, Colorado, St. Moritz is an amazing ski resort. Not only did it host 2 winter Olympics, but also a large 5-day, 800-guest, Indian wedding, which took place on the St. Moritzsee Lake in front of the city. It was so large that it made the national news.
Enthralled but exhausted by the sights, we spent a relaxing night at the Davos Intercontinental, otherwise known as the “Golden Egg.” The following evening, our Swiss family treated us to an unforgettable dinner at Fajauner Koscht, a restaurant that is also a private house. The owners served us authentic chef-special Swiss dinner made out of organic products grown in their own farm!
Auf Wiedersehen to our Swiss family and friends! Until next time.
Bulgaria
While en route to Sofia, we learned that on March 1st Bulgaria celebrates their first day of spring called Martenitsa. A tradition is to wear a red-and-white bracelet until you see the first stork as a sign of the beginning of spring. After that, you hang your bracelet on the first blossoming tree you see. Shortly after that, they celebrate a national holiday Liberation Day. So, we were in for some cultural treat!
To get into the city center, we took a taxi for 10 Bulgarian Lev ($6). We could also ride the new subway for about 2 Lev each. We stayed at one of the newest Intercontinentals (Sofia). The next day, we joined a 365 Free Walking Tour, one of Sofia’s many free walking tours, during which our very knowledgeable guide opened our eyes to the country’s unique and rich history. For dinner we went to an authentic and reasonably priced Bulgarian restaurant on the Borissowa Garden.
The following day we hired a taxi to take us outside of the city limits and up the tallest mountain in the Balkans known as “Vitosha Mountain.” We also visited the UNESCO World Heritage Church "Boyana", which was built more than 10 centuries ago. On the top of one of the mountain peaks is an old TV/Radio Tower with breathtaking views of the city (and our last sight of snow).
We topped the night off with a bar crawl hopping from one bar to the next. Among the highlights was the underground 5L Speakeasy Bar, themed after the 1920’s U.S. prohibition.
We set sail on the Liberation Day as the city was setting up the fireworks and main festivities. This marked the end of the first part of our trip.
Coming Soon
Stay tuned for our next adventures and look for our upcoming travel blogs with reviews of lodging, lounges, air travel, tips & tricks, and lessons learned. Also check out our ever-growing TravelingMudHens Instagram photo gallery!
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